The life of the ʻoʻopunākea fish is amphidromous since it is born upland in the stream as larvae and taken out to sea where it grows into its post-larvae stage of development, then returns upstream where it becomes an adult.

The people of [the island of] Hawaiʻi are spoken of derisively as lickers of ti leaves [so called because they were said to have done this at a feast in the time of Ka-mehameha where not enough food was provided].